Oil-burning heater



July 28, 1925.

I F. E. STOVER OIL-BURNING HEATER Filed April 18. 1924 FIG- I;

FZCE': I.

INVENTOR Fara? E 5' ORNE YS.

Patented Jilly 28, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT 'oFFICiEI.

FRANK n. sTovEn, or LUnAY,v1nernIA, ASSIGNOR To NEWTOWN GIANT moUBATon CORPORATION, or nAasrsonnunvrnemm, A CORPORATION or VIRGINIA.

OIL-BURNING HEATER.

Application filed April 18, 1924. Serial No. 707,350.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK E. S'rovnR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lura'y, in the county of Page and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oil-Burning Heaters,o'f which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to oil burning heat ers, more particularly to atype adapted for use in connection with poultry brooders.

The application of oil burning heaters to brooders has not met with general approval in the past on account of the unreliability attending their use. The most serious objection to them has been their incapacity for maintaining an even flame for uniform and eflicient heating due to imperfect or improper combustion, and further, on'account of the emission of smoke and obnoxious odors attending such partial combustionboth extremely injurious to the propagation of strong and healthy chicks.

The main purpose of my invention is to overcome the objection noted by providing for the complete consumption of any un burnt gases before any possibility of their escape from the province of the heater.

Another object of this invention, in addi tion to that just mentioned, is' to secure a more uniform and effective distribution of the heat emanating from the heater, over a greater. area beneath the hood of the brooder r than-possible with means heretofore avail able for this purpose.

A very simple way in which this desidera turn may be attained will become apparent from the detailed description which follows of a typical embodiment of my invention, the claims appended to this description serv ing to point out definitely and precisely the scope of the present improvements. 1

In the drawings, Fig. I shows, partly in side elevation and partly in section, a poultry brooder having associated therewith an oil burning heater embracing the novel fea tures of my invention; and

Fig. II is a sectional view of the heater per se on a larger scale than represented in Fig, I.

Referring first more particularly to Fig,

II of the drawings, 1 indicates the burner of the heater, said burner being annular form and provided with suitable means for retaining a correspondingly configured wick 2, also appropriate means 3 for. adjusting the position of the wick. The lower portion of the burner casing 1 serves as a well for fluid combustible conducted thereto through a fitting 4 at one side.

Mounted axially upon the burner 1 is a chimney structure generally designated the numeral 5 comprising an outer cylindrical shell 6 whose interior subdivided by relatively spaced foraminatedannular partitions 7, 8 to afford an annular mixing and combustion chamber 9 above the wick 2, as weli. as a jacket 10 externally of the mixing and combustion chamber and an axial compartment-11 from both of which the mainsupply of air for supporting bustion. is furnished from opposite sides to said mixing and combustion chamber; A s semblage ofthe several chimney parts is maintained in the relation described by stay. rods 12, 13 crossed at right angles, said rods I being formed with heads l i. at one end and retained with the aid of cotter pins 15 at the other end. The bottom 16 of the jacket 10 is perforated as at 17 to adi'n'itjair, and the upper edge 18 of the cylindrical shell of the chimney structure 5 is extended inwardly so as to partially overhang the topof said jacket and thereby prevent too rapid upward air circulation through the latter.

Preheating of the air in the jacket- 10 be fore being supplied to the mixing and combustion chamber 9 is, in this way, assured. Any over-supply of air is however freeto escape through the open top of the. jacket 10 in a manner obvious from Fig. II of the drawings. v p

The inner or axial compartment 11' of the 1 chimneystructure 5, like the jacket 10, is

closed at its lower-end by a bottom plate 19 which is perforated as shown to permit influx of air upwardly from the open center of the burner 1. The central region of the plate 19 is purposely dished upwardly, as

at 20 and supplemented with an upstanding projection 21 designed to promote uniform distribution of the air within the axial.sub

d i n 11' fer even diffusion throughthe foraminated partition 8 to the mixing and combustion chamber 9 from that side. For the purpose of retarding upward circulation of the air in the axial compartment 11 to insure its preheating, the inner foraminated partition 8 is spanned at the top by a diaphragm 22 that is provided ad acentits periphery with a series of openlngs 23 through which the heated air in the ax al compartment 11 (in excess of that supplied in the chamber 9) passes into the interior of a hollow conical cover member 2: appropriately secured to the partition 8 together with the diaphragm 22 previously mentioned. This cover member 24, it will be observed, has a central discharge orifice 25, the metal about the edges of said orifice being turned over as shown to hold in place an inverted cup-like piece 26 in the present instance formed as a sheet metal stamping. This construction provides in effect, a coaxial shouldered necx about the orifice 25 to enable attachment of .a deflector and spreader member comprehensively designated by the numeral 27. As illustrated, the member 27 is generally in the form of an invert frusto-cone with its deflecting sur face stepped as at 28, 29, the flanking portion 29 being sloped at a sharper angle to the horizontal than the central portion 28. Attention is particularly directed to the fact that the conical surface of the central portion 28 of the deflector member 27 is so proportioned as to overhang only the top of the mixing and combustion chamber 9 with the result that the flame having its source in the latter is uniformly spread laterally outward; while the more sharply-sloped continuing circumferential flanking portion 29 of the deflector member overhangs the chimney 5 of the heater to a very considerable extent, thereby not only assisting the con tiguous deflecting surface 28 in diverting the products of combustion laterally, but in ad dition, directing the heat resulting from combustion downwardly over a comparatively broad area about the heater. A de flector and spreader member having the characteristics just pointed out may be conveniently fabricated from two pieces of sheet metal, the part 29 being fashioned as a coned disk and secured in co-axial relation to the central part 28 by rivets 30. By virtue of this construction, a chamber 31 is formed within the central part 21 of the deflector 27, said chamber receiving the excess preheated air from the axial compartment 11 of the chimney through the central orifice 25 of the cover member 24. The air thus received is distributed radially of the interior of the part 28 by reason of the downward-coned roof provided by part- 29, and thereby directed for diffusion through a circle of apertures 32 about the part 28. The apertures 32, it will be noted, are 10- cated preferably in a horizontal plane at a level directly above the top of the mixing and combustion chamber 9 within the chimney 5, the preheated air discharged through them serving as an auxiliary supply to predetermine complete consumption of any gases issuing unburnt from the upper end of the mixing chamber 9 before they can possibly escape beyond the immediate prov ince of the heater. The auxiliary supply of air just referred to is augmented at the opposite side of the mixing and combustion chamber 9 by the exhaust from the jacket 10, which, owing to the rounding of the upper edge of the chimney shell 5 at 18, is directed inwardly over the top of said chamber at substantially the same level as the apertures 32 of the deflector and spreader structure 27.

By reason of the allocation of the apertures 32 opposite the inturned upperedge of the chimney shell 6 as described, the air necessary to effect complete combustion of the volatile gases rising from the wick 2 through the chamber 9, is delivered sub stantially at the level of the chimney-top so that this region becomes, practically speaking, the region of greatest flame intensity. Accordingly the interior of the chimney structure is relieved of the necessity to withstand the maximum heat, and in practice is thus maintained comparatively cool to the advantage of adding greatly to its longevity in service.

-When used in connection with a brooder as shown in Fig. I, my improved heater is placed centrally beneath the'conical hood 35, which in this instance, is spanned by a horizontal diaphragm 35 occupying in the assemblage position somewhat above the top-edge of the part 29 of the burner structure 5. This diaphragm 35 assists in the capacity of a baffle to promote downward deflection of the heat beneath the hood, and, by reason of its presence, prevents pocketing of the heat which would otherwise obtain within the vertex of the hood. The diaphragm 35 in addition to the functions just explained, serves to set apart a dead air space which it will be appreciated, prevents upward radiation of the heat to a considerable extent. The heater is supported in position through coupling of the fitting 4 at one side of the burner casing 1 as at 36, with a pipe 37 which conducts the fluid combustible to the heater. The desired alignment of the heater is maintained by aid of a hook 38 secured to the burner casing 1 opposite the fitting 4, said hook being adapted to engage the pipe- 32 as shown in Fig. I. The pipe 32 extends to a point beyond the brooder hood 35 and is there connected to a reservoir 39 from which the supply of fluid combustible is obtained. In order to prevent the chicks from ven- Jun eassest o o cld'se to th elheate the latter is surrounded by a" safety screentO of wire meshor th'elike. I

Although I have-described my improved heater as especially applicableto poultry brooders, it is obviousthatthe same may be employed with equal advai'ita'ges-in other connections.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A heater of the character described comprising a mixing and combustion chamber with means for conducting preheated air thereto to support combustion, and means for conducting and radially diffusing an auxiliary supply of preheated air at a point above the mixing and combustion chamber to insure complete comsumption of any unburnt gases issuing therefrom.

2. A heater of the character described comprising a mixing and combustion chamber with means for conducting preheated air thereto to support combustion, and

i means for conducting and radially diffusing an auxiliary supply of preheated air from opposite points at a region above the mixing and combustion, chamber to insure complete consumption of any unburnt gases issuing therefrom.

3. A heater of the character described comprising an annular mixing and combustion chamber with means for conducting preheated air thereto to support combustion, and means for conducting and laterally diifusing an auxiliary supply of preheated air for discharge from opposite sides at a level above said mixing and combustion chamber to insure complete consumption of any unburnt gases issuing therefrom.

4. A heater of the character described comprising an annular mixing and combustion chamber, an axial compartment surrounded by said chamber in which air for supporting combustion is preheated, said compartment having a top with a central outlet, and a hollow member surmounting the axial compartment and in communica tion therewith through the central outlet, said hollow member having openings in its side wall through which the preheated air is laterally diffused outwards at a level above the top of the mixing and combustion chamber to insure complete consumption of any unburnt gases issuing therefrom.

5. A heater of the character described comprising an annular mixing and combustion chamber, an axial compartment surrounded by said chamber in which air for supporting combustion is preheated, said compartment having a top. with a central outlet, and a hollow member surmounting the axial compartment and in communication therewith through the central outlet,

said" hollow member having a downwardly coned roof to deflect" and distribute the pre heated air uniformly toward its side wan; and openingsin the" side wall through whichtheai'r is outw-ardly diffused at a level above the top" of the mixing-and combustion chan'i? ber to insu1"ecomplete 'coinbu'stionof any unburnt gases issuing therefrom.

6. A heater of the character described comprising an annular mixing and combustion chamber, an axial compartment surrounded by said combustion chamber in which air for supporting combustion is preheated, said compartment-having a top with a central outlet and a surrounding shouldered neck, and a member with a hollow interior-adapted to be supported by said neck and to receive the oversupply of preheated air from the axial compartment aforenamed, said member having in its side wall a series of apertures through which the preheated air is outwardly diffused at a level above the top of the mixing and combustion chamber to insure complete combustion of any unburnt gases issuing therefrom.

7 A heater of the character described comprising a mixing and combustion chamber, an axial compartment surrounded by said chamber in which air for supporting combustion is preheated, and an inverted conical deflector structure overhanging. the mixing and combustion chamber to deflect the products of combustion laterally outward, said deflector structure having a hollow interior to receive preheated air from the axial compartment aforementioned and apertures through which a portion of the preheated air is radially difiused at a level above the top of the mixing and combustion chamber to insure complete consumption of any unburnt gases issuing therefrom.

8. A heater of the character described comprising an annular burner, a chinmey surmounting the burner, said chimney be ing internally subdivided by spaced annular perforated partitions to afford an annular mixing and combustion chamber above the burner, and air preheating open-topped jacket surrounding the mixing and combustion chamber, an axial air preheating compartment inside of said chamber, and an inverted conical deflector structure surmounting the chimney and overhanging the In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name, at Harrisonburg, Virginia, this sixteenth day of April, 1924.

FRANK E. STOVER.

consumption of any unburnt gases issuing therefrom, and the outer Wall of the air preheating jacket aforesaid having its top edge inturned to inwardly direct the ex- 5 haust therefrom above the mixing and com- Witnesses:

bustion chamber to augment the auxiliary J NO. P. BURKE,

portion of preheated air aforesaid. FRANK G. DAVIS. 

